Beloved Fort Worth Barbecue Spot Expands Again, Embracing Buzzy Burleson — Heim Jumps Into Ellison Street

Just on the heels of opening its first Dallas location on Mockingbird Lane, Heim BBQ is once again adding to its stable of restaurants, continuing its takeover of the local barbecue scene with yet another location.

Forks up Old Town Burleson. Heim Barbecue is headed your way, with a projected early 2023 opening.

Sure seems like Burleson is getting all the cool stuff lately. Doughboy Donuts moved from its first brick and mortar location on Camp Bowie to Burleson’s soon-to-open The Standard at Chisenhall development. Now, Heim Barbecue will plant its fourth restaurant in the burgeoning Old Town area as well.

Along with its new Dallas outpost (read PaperCity’s story on the Mockingbird Lane Heim here), there is the original Heim Barbecue on Magnolia Avenue and Heim on the River, located on White Settlement in Fort Worth’s exploding River District.

Their next farm-to-smoker, craft barbecue joint (Heim is famous for its burnt bacon ends and delicate brisket) will eventually reside in a new development called The Ellison Street Project.

Travis and Emma Heim are the first tenants to sign on to the new project at 135 W. Ellison Street, which is being developed by BTX Old Town on the site of the former Wood Shopping Center. The adjacent development by Matt Aiken and Aaron Wimberley is located at 114 W. Ellison Street (currently the site of the West Building), which will divide its 11,000 square feet of space evenly between office and retail.

The entire Ellison Street Project will consist of seven new buildings, adding more than 50,000 square feet of restaurant, retail and office space to the area. The Burleson Heim Barbecue will lease 5,500 square feet in building six.

“Our team is honored to develop such an important and culturally significant project for Old Town Burleson,” says Matt Aiken of BTX Old Town. “This expansion of the city’s historic core will be the largest in the history of Burleson. We believe this project, along with the new Mayor Vera Calvin Plaza, will cement Old Town Burleson as a community and regional destination for decades to come.”

Heim’s Burleson restaurant is still a couple of years away. Construction on The Ellison Street Project is not set to begin until early 2022 by BTX Old Development Group ― leading to a target date of first quarter of 2023, before the smokers will fire up. Then again, the Heims are well versed in cooking things low and slow. That’s the key to the burgeoning barbecue empire’s post oak smoked, central Texas style ‘cue.

Good things come to those who wait Burleson. In the meantime its residents can enjoy the “gladsome tidings” of more major development to come.